Metallophthalocyanine complexes are known catalysts for the decomposition of hydroperoxides. Sanderson et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,912,266 and 4,912,267, issued Mar. 27, 1990; and 4,922,035 and 4,922,036, issued May 1, 1990, disclose decomposition of t-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) dissolved in t-butyl alcohol (TBA, t-butanol) over a metallophthalocyanine catalyst modified by imidazole and other modifiers. Sanderson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,602, issued Feb. 12, 1991, disclose partial oxidation of isobutane and distillation of the reaction product to obtain a fraction containing 80 to 90% of t-butyl hydroperoxide and 20 to 10% of t-butanol, dissolving that fraction in 3 to 10 parts by weight, based on the weight of the fraction, of benzene, and decomposing the hydroperoxide in the resulting solution with a phthalocyanine decomposition catalyst.
Taylor et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,553, issued Nov. 5, 1985, disclose use of various metal acetylacetonate catalysts, including ruthenium, chromium, cobalt and manganese acetylacetonates, for decomposition of hydroperoxides in undried reaction systems. A catalyst comprising a combination of chromium and ruthenium acetylacetonates was found to have the highest reaction rate in such undried systems.
Lyons and Ellis, U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,886, issued Jun. 9, 1992, disclose and claim decomposition of hydroperoxides by contact with metal ligand catalysts of coordination complexes, including phthalocyanine ligands, in which hydrogen in the phthalocyanine molecule has been substituted with electron-withdrawing elements or groups, for example halogen or nitro or cyano groups. Other ligands than phthalocyanines can be used, for example porphyrins and others as subsequently disclosed.
In co-pending application, Ser. No. 08/223,090, filed Apr. 4, 1994, Bhinde et al. disclose and claim methods for decomposition of hydroperoxides catalyzed by metal organic ligand catalysts wherein the reaction mixture is dried. Suitable ligands for the method disclosed by Bhinde et al. include, but are not limited to, phthalocyanines, porphyrins, Schiff bases and acetylacetonates.